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M. OOLONEY. Machine-Gun.

InvenZ m Jigyr on 00207145 N. PErERs, PMOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. a c.

nllunlnlllunlul 11111 rrnn STATES ATENT tries.

MYRON GOLONEY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES HENRY MOLEAN, OF SAME PLACE.

MAGHINE-GUN.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,462, dated March 16, 1880.

Application filed November 23, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MYRON GOLONEY, of the city and county of St. Louis, and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machine-Guns, of which the following is a specification.

The subject of my invention is a battery-gun constructed with a horizontal range of barrels and a reciprocating breech-slide containing two sets of chambers, the chambers in each set corresponding in number with the barrels, so that when the breech-slide is moved in one direction the one set of chambers, having been previously charged, will be brought into position for firing while the other set are in position for loading, and vice versa on the other stroke.

For hand-loading, the cartridges are placed in guide grooves or channels in rear of the slide, and are inserted simultaneously in all the chambers of each set by means of a bar, carrying forward all the cartridges at once, the empty shells of the previous charge having been previously ejected by slide-rods operated simultaneously.

When the invention is used as a magazine battery-gun a range of magazines correspondin g in number with the barrels is placed on each side thereof, so that each set of chambers in the breechslide will be filled automatically and simultaneously on reaching their loading position. To confine the cartridges in the magazines when the breech-slide is moved away, vertically-sliding plates are applied at the rear of the respective magazines, said plates being connected to a common bar to operate them simultaneously, and the said bar being depressed to uncover the magazines at the instant the breech-slide reaches the termination of its stroke and released when the breech-slide begins its return stroke, the movement of the vertical slides being so regulated that the cartridges are released in all the magazines simultaneously when the chambered slide reaches the loading position, and the remaining cartridges are locked in all the magazines before any of the latter are uncovered by the return stroke of the chambered slide.

The cartridges used for magazine-loading are of peculiar construction, having a shoulder between the ball and shell, which is seated on a corresponding shoulder within the slide-chamher, to limit the insertion of the cartridge fromempty shell to be ejected through the open rear end of the slide-chamber by the entrance of a new cartridge.

For hand-loading from the rear, cylindrical cartridges are employed with the customary rim-flanges or with stop-pins.

In the rear of the stationary breech, within which the chambered slide moves, are recoilpins, in line with the barrels, for the purpose of taking up the recoil and effecting the selfcocking of the firing-pins, if center-fire cartridges are used.

For use with transverse pins, by which the ignition of the powder may be effected in close contact with the back of the ball, falling hammers are used, and to raise these to cocked position simultaneously a rigid bar is passed beneath their necks, attached at its ends to the short horizontal arms of bellcrank levers, whose longer arms extend upward and are connected by a hand-bar.

The heels of the hammers, when cooked, are engaged by triggers of peculiar construction. The heel of each hammer is formed with a slot to receive the projecting nose, forming onehalf of the end of its own trigger, and with a cam-surface on which one-half of the adjoining trigger bears, so that the release of one hammer causes its cam to retract the trigger of the next, and so on to the end of the series.

By this device the barrels may be automatically discharged in rapid succession by pulling the trigger of the first one. All the desirable effect of a simultaneous fire is thus produced, while the gun sustains the shock of but a single barrel at a time. The battery is mounted on a carriage the wheels of which move transversely to the line of fire.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of the batterygun as adapted for hand-loading. Fig. 2 rep resents a vertical section through the bedplate, showing the reciprocating slide in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line (b I), Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan of one of the triggers. Fig. 6 is a plan of a magazine battery'gun illustrating the invention. Fig. 7 represents a vertical section through the bed-plate, showing the slide in elevation and near the termination of its stroke, and indicating by dotted lines the positions of the magazine-openings and the stop-plates. Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal section of one of the magazine-chambers on a larger scale.

1 represents a frame or table supported by axles 2 2 on wheels 3 3, and having cheekplates or standards 4t 4, forming bearings for trunnions 5 5, projecting from the extremities of a bed-plate, 6, on which a range of barrels, 7, are mounted. In the rear of the barrels 7 is a reciprocating slide, 8, which is guided in suitable hearings on the bed-plate 6, and has two sets of load-chambers, the chambers in each set corresponding in number with the barrels, so that when the slide is at one extremity of its stroke one set of load-chambers will be brought in register with the barrels, and when at the other extremity the other set. The reciprocating movement of the slide is imparted by a crank, 10, on a shaft, 11, carrying pinions 12, which gear with racks 13 on the bottom of the slide.

In Fig. l, 53 53 represent guiding-grooves, corresponding in number and position with each set of chambers in the slide, as they are respectively moved laterally away from firing position. The grooves 53 receive the cartridges in readinessfor insertion in the loadingchambers, pushing-bars 54 54., attached to arms 55 55, which are pivoted at 56 56, being employed to ram them simultaneously into their chambers.

A range of rods, 57 57, connected by bars 58 53, so as to be drawn simultaneously by handles 59 59, and retracted by spring-arms 60 60, are employed to eject the empty shells from the load-chambers 9 preparatory to the reception of a new load. The ends of the rods 57 work through the guide-plates 6 in contact with which the face of the slide 8 works.

The cartridges are packed in boxes 61 61, which are separated, by partitions 62 62, from boxes 63 63, into which the empty shells drop when ejected from the load-chambers 9 9 and guides 53 53.

In practice the boxes 61 63 are provided with covers (not shown) hinged at back, so as to fall down in vertical position behind the boxes while in operation.

The front of the battery is provided with a shield of boiler-iron, to protect the men from rifle-shots, and also to weight the front part of the battery and render it more steady in discharging its missiles.

64: is the elevating-screw for regulating the range.

To adapt the gun for automatic loading, a

3 is a plan view, illustrating the SHCCGSSIVG fall of the hammers.

range of magazines, 27 27, is employed on each side of the barrels, as shown in Fig. 6, the magazines in each range corresponding in number with the barrels. These magazines are provided with the customary followers 28 and springs 29. The cartridges are made with a cylindrical case, 30, and with a ball. 32, having a shoulder, 33, projecting beyond the circumference of the case, for the purpose of seating the cartridge on an internal shoulder, 34 which is formed in the load-chamber when the arm is designed and prepared for automatic loading.

After firing, the absence of the ball permits the empty shell to be ejected backward by the pressure of the incoming cartridge, the empty shells falling into a box at back, as before described. In the event of a shell sticking in the chamber it is instantly expelled by pressure of the finger on the projecting knob 28 on the follower of the corresponding magazine.

In order to confine the cart-ridges within the magazines when the slide is moved away from them, stop-plates 65, Fig. 7, are employed, attached to a bar, 66, pivoted at its inner end, 67, and depressed by the contact of the slide 8 with its inclined and upwardly-projecting outer end, 68, as the slide reaches the termination of its stroke. As the slide again retreats, and before either of the magazines is uncovered, the bar 66 is released and drawn upward by a spring, 69, the conical ends of the cartridges permitting the plates to rise behind the cartridges next in advance within the magazines.

The magazines are connected in clusters, as described, each battery of magazines being seated on a frame, 70, prepared for it, as shown in Fig. 6, where one set or battery of magazines is omitted in order to show the mode of applying them. The connected magazines are carried in a caisson specially constructed to receive them, and forming the subject of a separate application.

The gun may be adapted for various modes of firing, either by hammers or firing-pins.

In Figs. 1, 3, and 4. is illustrated a new system of hammer-firing, by which, on one barrel being fired, the remainder are discharged automatically in rapid succession. To this end the hammers 71 are constructed with camshaped heels 72, and provided with slots 73, to receive the projecting noses 74. of triggers 75, which turn on a common axis, 76, and are arranged, as shown in Fig. 3, with each trigger resting against the adjacent halves of two hammer-heels, so that when the nose 74. of a trigger engages in the cock notch or slot of one hammer the depressed part 77 of the face of the same trigger will rest on the cam-surface 72 of the adjoining hammer.

To cock all the hammers simultaneously a bar, 7 8, extends from end to end beneath their necks, said bar being mounted in the ends of arms 79 79, with which a hand-bar, 80, and arms 81 are rigidly connected.

A lanyard is connected to one or each of IIO IIS

the triggers, as shown at 82. The hammersprings are shown at 83.

Itwill now be apparent that on drawing back the bar 80 all the hammers will be raised si- 5 multaneously, and will be secured in their cocked position by the trigger-noses 74 catching in the slots 73.

On the lanyard S2 of the right-hand trigger being pulled, the falling of its hammer retracts IO the next trigger by the action of the cam motion from 73 to 72, so as to release the second hammer, the falling of which draws the third trigger, and so on.

The hammers fall on firing-pins, which may be arranged to ignite the charge at the front or at the rear of the powder-cham her, as preferred.

If it be desired to fire the barrels singly, this can be done by beginning at the left instead of the right end of the series, the triggers being drawn singly, as required.

The hand system of loading and the automatic or magazine system each has its advantages, and the invention herein described may be used under either system. The first-- described system, with cartridge-boxes in the rear, avoids the need for a separate caisson and adapts the gun to carry its own ammunition, and also to carry from the field the empty 3o cartridge-shells, which will be made of steel or other durable metal and adapted for repeated use.

This gun is intended to be run on and oft desire to secure by Letters Patent: 5

l. The combination of the range of hammers 71 71 and elevatingbar 78 and lever 79 80 81, to effect the simultaneous cocking of the hammers, as described.

2. The hammers 71, constructed with camshaped heels 72 and slots 73, in combination with triggers 75, each having a projecting nose,

74, resting on the heel of one hammer and engaging with the next, so as to effect the successive discharge of the series of barrels automatically, substantially as herein set forth.

MYRON OOLONEY. Witnesses:

OGTAVIUS KNIGHT,

ALTER ALLEN. 

